Hong Kong activists vow to continue protests after release - BBC News

1. Hong Kong activists vow to continue protests after release  BBC News
2. Hong Kong Protesters Wave U.S. Flags, Urge Trump to Take Action  Bloomberg
3. Beijing Moves on Hong Kong  The Wall Street Journal
4. Hong Kong activists arrested on eve of pro-democracy movement anniversary  Vox.com
5. Trump says trade talks with China have helped limit violence in Hong Kong | TheHill  The Hill
6. View full coverage on Google News

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Hurricane Dorian is churning towards Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina – Here is where and when it's due to strike

Hurricane Dorian's path is nearing Florida, where it is no longer projected to make landfall, but still cause 'devastating hurricane-force winds.'

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Kashmiris say Indian officers tortured them and shoved mud in their mouths so they couldn't scream. The army denies it ever happened.

A new BBC report details gruesome allegations from civilians living in Kashmiri villages known to be hubs of anti-India militant groups.

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Illinois governor pardons Army vet deported to Mexico

The governor of lllinois said Friday he's erased the drug conviction of an Army veteran who was deported to Mexico in 2018, a step that the man's supporters hope will help him return to the U.S. "I recognize this pardon is not a perfect solution, but it is the most just action to take to allow a U.S. veteran the opportunity to be treated fairly by the country he served," Gov. J.B. Pritzker said. Miguel Perez Jr., 41, who was born in Mexico, doesn't have U.S. citizenship but had a green card as a permanent U.S. resident.

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Hurricane Dorian path update shows storm track could turn, potentially impact Carolinas

Hurricane Dorian has gained fearsome new muscle as an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm. Latest models show Dorian turning before landfall in Florida meaning possible impact near the NC coast later this week.

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What If Obama Endorses Warren?

Barack Obama thinks about his brand and his legacy a lot, and he dreads what Joe Biden might do to it. This month alone, Biden mistook New Hampshire for Vermont even though the sole reason he was in that part of the country was the first-in-the-nation primary, which is famously not held in Vermont. He said RFK was assassinated in the 1970s. He said he couldn’t remember the name of the British prime minister in the midst of bragging about his foreign-policy chops. And he speculated about what it might have been like if Obama had been assassinated.This last, ghastly gaffe might be too much for Obama to take. Obama believes his brand is cool, technocratic, tightly controlled, a bit wonkish and professorial, inspirational, buttoned-down, Ivy League, definitely forward-looking. Biden is warm, free-wheeling, intellectually ungifted, frank and unguarded to the point of outright sloppiness, so old he served in the Senate alongside segregationist Democrats, and so out of touch he actually touts his friendship with these guys. Obama thought back in 2008 Biden was so old that he would never again run for president, his team strongly discouraged Biden from entering the race in the fall of 2015, and Biden’s jaw-dropping string of verbal blunders indicates a strong possibility of incipient cognitive decline.As Barack Obama surveys the Democratic contenders for 2020, he must be thinking: 1) None of these people has half my political skills but 2) Elizabeth Warren is my kind of gal. Warren is also cool, wonky, and professorial, also a Harvard product. Though she is 70, she looks younger and hasn’t displayed any signs of cognitive decline. Like Obama, she would be labeled a “historic” president. If she reached the Oval Office, he wouldn’t have to cringe every time she opened her mouth. He wouldn’t have to worry that her back-slapping tendencies would allow her to get rolled by Mitch McConnell. He trusts her so much that he let her guide one of his signature achievements, setting up the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.One poll released in late August gave Warren a one-point lead over Biden. Two other polls released in the second half of August show her within three points of Biden. True, most others give him a double-digit lead, and some have her in third place, albeit narrowly, behind Bernie Sanders. Yet she’s close enough that Obama must be wondering if his endorsement could vault her into the lead position.What then? Like everyone else on earth, Obama notices that Biden looks like a much stronger candidate than Warren in a matchup against Trump. Warren might well be Hillary 2.0: She’s off-putting. She’s smug. She’s . . . a she. Polls show Democrats are extremely worried that the American people won’t accept  a woman president. The more she uses words like “My Daddy” and ostentatiously drinks beer, the less relatable she is. It’s hard to imagine the American people are thinking, “Yes, this is the voice I want to listen to every day for the next four years.”So there would be risk involved in backing Warren. But from Obama’s perspective, there’s also risk involved in Biden’s becoming president and embarrassing him every day. Maybe even, in his dotage, Biden might let what’s left of the Obama legacy slip away. If Obama thinks like most Democrats, he probably believes that nonsensical hullabaloo about email servers, not Hillary Clinton’s deficiencies as a candidate or sexism, was what cost her the presidency.Obama proved to be a failure at almost everything except getting Obama elected to office, but he is not a man notable for a modest view of his own skills. He must be thinking his star power could restore black turnout to levels approaching where it was when he was on the ballot. He must be thinking that with a push from him, and a little help from his turnout wizards, Elizabeth Warren could avoid Hillary Clinton’s errors and enter the White House.If Obama were to endorse Warren, the 2020 Democratic primaries would be upended, and Obama would be praised for lighting a path to a genuinely progressive presidency. And if Biden won the nomination anyway, no biggie: Obama could simply campaign for him in the general election and settle for a less-than-ideal Democratic presidency. I’m guessing Obama comes out strong for Warren.

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Statue resembling Trump erected in Melania's home country Slovenia

A large wooden sculpture that strongly resembles Donald Trump was erected this week in Slovenia, home country of Trump's wife Melania, though its designer insists it is meant to represent a "statue of liberty", not the U.S. president. Tom Schlegl's 8-metre (26 foot) statue in the village of Sela, north of the capital Ljubljana, depicts a man with blond hair and an angry expression, wearing a blue suit, white shirt and red tie. "I designed the statue because people have forgotten what the Statue of Liberty stands for.

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Intel veterans react to Trump tweet of Iran launch pad photo from briefing - Business Insider

Intel veterans react to Trump tweet of Iran launch pad photo from briefing  Business Insider

President Donald Trump's decision to tweet out a photo of an Iranian launch pad that he got from a classified intelligence briefing this week has astonished ...

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Syria's war: US 'targets al-Qaeda leaders' in rebel-held Idlib - Aljazeera.com

1. Syria's war: US 'targets al-Qaeda leaders' in rebel-held Idlib  Aljazeera.com
2. Syria war: US missile strike on 'al-Qaeda leaders' in Idlib  BBC News
3. War in Syria: Missile strike targets jihadists in shellshocked Syrian province  CBS News
4. Turkey to Launch Own Plan Unless its Troops Control Syria Buffer  Bloomberg
5. Cease-fire brings temporary calm to Syria’s Idlib  Washington Post
6. View full coverage on Google News

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Until Recently, Websites Were Hacking iPhones - Newser

1. Until Recently, Websites Were Hacking iPhones  Newser
2. Why the latest iPhone hack should worry you no matter what phone you use  Android Central
3. Google Claims Malicious Websites Used Hacked Apple iPhones  Breitbart
4. Apple still has work to do on privacy  TechCrunch
5. China used iPhone hacks to target Uyghur Muslims: sources  TechCrunch
6. View full coverage on Google News

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Latest Report Suggests Melvin Gordon Could Be Back Soon...But With a Different Team (TWEET) - Total Pro Sports

1. Latest Report Suggests Melvin Gordon Could Be Back Soon...But With a Different Team (TWEET)  Total Pro Sports
2. Chargers give Gordon permission to seek trade  NFL.com
3. Source -- Chargers allowing Gordon to seek trade  ESPN
4. Four Potential Trade Destinations for Melvin Gordon  The Big Lead
5. Chargers give Melvin Gordon permission to seek a trade  NBCSports.com
6. View full coverage on Google News

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US police fire pepper spray after pro-Trump 'Straight Pride' parade

US police fired pepper spray Saturday after counter-demonstrators accused them of protecting "Straight Pride" advocates who support President Donald Trump, and refused to let officers re-open a road. The unrest came after the counter-protesters and "Straight Pride" group -- considered homophobic extremists by their opponents -- staged dueling rallies in Boston. Officers fired pepper spray and made several arrests.

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President says decision on whether to order evacuations in Florida will be made on Sunday

Donald Trump has said the decision on whether to evacuate residents of Florida to protect them from Hurricane Dorian, would be made on Sunday after meeting with officials.As he left the White House for the presidential retreat at Camp David in Maryland, he said members of the federal emergency management agency (FEMA) would be joining him to monitor events.

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Hong Kong activists freed on bail, protest march banned

Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong and another core member of a pro-democracy group were granted bail after being charged with inciting people to join a protest in June, while authorities denied permission for a major march Saturday as they took what appears to be a harder line on this summer's protests. The organizers of the march on the fifth anniversary of a decision by China against allowing fully democratic elections for the leader of Hong Kong said they were calling it off after an appeals board denied permission. The police commander of Hong Kong island, Kwok Pak Chung, appealed to people to stay away from any unauthorized rallies, warning that those caught could face a five-year jail term.

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Iran goes further in breaching nuclear deal, IAEA report shows

Iran has gone further in breaching its nuclear deal with world powers, increasing its stock of enriched uranium and refining it to a greater purity than allowed, the U.N. atomic agency report said on Friday. The quarterly report from the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is policing the 2015 deal, confirms Iran is progressively backing out of the deal in retaliation for Washington's withdrawal form the accord and renewal of sanctions that have hit Iranian oil sales. Iran has said it will breach the deal's limits on its nuclear activities one by one, ratcheting up pressure on parties who still hope to save it.

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2020 Vision: 'Gaffe machine' in high gear, Biden's campaign says it doesn't matter

A new poll shows Trump trailing the top Democratic contenders in a hypothetical 2020 general election match-up. The next step for Democrats is a strong debate performance on Sept. 12. Also crucial is a campaign’s follow-through.

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View Photos of the 2020 Ford Explorer ST

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Dorian is forecast to become a Category 3 'major' hurricane. What does this mean?

The latest forecast has Dorian strengthening into a major Category 3 hurricane with winds of 115 mph by Sunday off the U.S. East Coast.

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We need Unions for All. It's a bold agenda for helping everyone get ahead in our economy.

We need serious plans to empower all workers to form unions, no matter what job they do. 'Unions for All' is our litmus test for 2020 candidates.

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Wreck of paddle steamer throws light on British support for Confederacy slave states during US Civil War

Britain has long been proud of its historically progressive attitude to slavery, frequently pointing to the fact that this country abolished the trade across its territories as early as 1833. But beneath the waters of Liverpool Bay lies something that should dent our complacency about this country’s role in the ending of human bondage. The wreck of the paddle steamer Leila, which sank on its maiden voyage in 1865, sheds new light on the actions of some British businessmen in supporting the southern slave states of the Confederacy during the US Civil War. Now the wreck - described by historians as “one of the most historically-significant in the north west” - is to be granted protected status on the advice of Historic England. The 19th century paddle steamer was on its maiden voyage from Liverpool to Bermuda loaded with guns and supplies for Confederate forces when it foundered on 14th January 1865 during stormy weather in Liverpool Bay, with the loss of 47 lives. The wreck on the Leila on the seabed in Liverpool Bay Credit: Historic England Leila was secretly built in Liverpool on behalf of the Confederate Government late in the American Civil War of 1861 to 1865 as a purpose-built vessel to run the blockade imposed on the southern states by the Union forces of Abraham Lincoln. She was technically advanced for her day and was designed to evade the northern Union ships enforcing the blockade. Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England said: “The Lelia is one of a small group of British ships involved in British complicity in running guns and munitions to the Confederates. “Though the UK remained officially neutral throughout the American Civil War, the Leila comprises evidence of the British financing of blockade runners that sent munitions and luxuries to Confederate ports in return for cotton and tobacco. As such it is very significant as historical evidence.” Although the British Government’s position on the blockade was officially neutral, opinion in Britain over the issue of the Civil War was split. Many Lancashire cotton workers supported the blockade and the Union’s fight against the slave states, even though it resulted in a downturn in the weaving industry and severe hardship for their families. Such was their support for the abolitionist cause that a statue of Lincoln was erected in their honour in 1919, with a plaque reproducing his letter of 19th January 1863 to the Manchester cotton workers thanking them for their support. Statue of Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln Square, Manchester, inscribed with his letter of thanks to the city's cotton weavers Credit: Phil Portus / Alamy Stock Photo But there were those in Britain willing to take advantage of the war and help supply the slave states with goods and materials. At the start of the Civil War, the Confederacy lacked the manufacturing capacity to compete with the more industrialised northern states and so relied on importing war supplies, including guns and ammunition, to sustain its war effort. It acquired fast steamships, mainly paddle steamers, from British and other shipbuilders, intended to breach the naval blockade of its main ports imposed by the Union in 1861 in an attempt to strangle the southern war effort.  They hoped a combination of speed and stealth would help them to break the blockade, enabling them to carry cotton and tobacco to Europe and war supplies back to the Confederacy. The Lelia was built in Millers shipyard in Toxteth, Liverpool, where shipbuilders had been experimenting with the early use of steel, which, being lighter than iron, allowed for larger cargo space and greater speed - perfect for blockade runners. The paddle steamer was only identified in 1997 after a bell marked ‘Lelia 1864’ was recovered from close to the wreck beneath Liverpool Bay by a local diver. An infra-red photograph of the wreck of the Leila Credit: Historic England The partially-buried remains of the Leila include one of the paddle wheels, the engine and boiler rooms, less well-preserved cargo areas and a steam winch.  The deck and all structures that were on it have not survived, but as much as 1.9m of its hull remains buried in the seabed, raising the prospect that its cargo of British-manufactured munitions and machinery may have been partially preserved . The Leila is one of three blockade busters to have been discovered in British waters. The other is the paddle steamer Iona II, which sank in 1864 in foggy conditions close to the Isle of Lundy in the Bristol Channel on her first trans-Atlantic voyage. The Iona II’s sister ship Iona I, also a paddle steamer believed to be involved in gun-running, was lost in 1862 in the inner Clyde Estuary, near Greenock, in Scotland. Rebecca Pow, Heritage Minister at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said: “Protecting sites like the wreck of the Lelia helps us to preserve an important story about Britain’s role in the American Civil War.  “Although the conflict happened over a hundred years ago, it is right that we ensure the protection of this site so we can learn more about one of the most significant shipwrecks off the coast of North West England and broaden our knowledge about our nation's seafaring history." A print depicting the upsetting of the Liverpool lifeboat during its ill fated attempt to rescue the crew of the Leila Credit: Historic England

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October Democratic presidential primary debate to be held in Ohio, state party says

The debate could stretch into two nights if more candidates meet the polling and fundraising qualifications before Oct. 1.

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Look Closely for Coco Gauff’s Homage to New York Tennis

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Ofsted inspections for top-rated schools to be reinstated

The reintroduction of inspections for "outstanding" schools follows concerns about falling standards.

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Hurricane Dorian gains strength as Florida braces for potential ‘monster’ storm

Landfall anticipated early Tuesday on state’s east coast with maximum sustained winds of 140mphRich DiGiulio removes an awning from the Mulligans Beach House Bar & Grill in preparation for Hurricane Dorian, Friday, 30 August 2019, in Vero Beach, Florida. Photograph: Lynne Sladky/APResidents of Florida braced for what could be a historically damaging storm on Friday as Hurricane Dorian lingered in the western Atlantic, building strength in advance of its anticipated landfall early on Tuesday on the state’s east coast.The storm strengthened into a category 3 hurricane on Friday afternoon, amid fears it could prove to be the most powerful hurricane to hit Florida’s east coast in nearly 30 years. Forecasters warned that Dorian could wallop the state with “extremely dangerous” 140mph (225 kph) winds.“It could be an absolute monster,” Donald Trump said in a video address, pledging federal support for local disaster relief efforts.Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, declared a state of emergency for every county in the state and warned of a potential “multi-day” event, but stopped short of declaring any emergency evacuations.Emergency preparations were under way up and down the Atlantic coast, from Jacksonville in the north to Miami and the Florida Keys, as well as in Orlando and inland areas.Ominously, on Friday morning the storm had developed a distinct eye and slowed its westward progress, meaning it could spend more time over land – and do more damage.Meteorologists said Dorian could make landfall in Florida on Tuesday as a category 4 hurricane.“If it makes landfall as a category 3 or 4 hurricane, that’s a big deal,” the University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy told the Associated Press. “A lot of people are going to be affected. A lot of insurance claims.”Hurricane Dorian gains strength as it tracks towards the Florida coast, on 30 August. Photograph: NOAA GOES-East/Handout/Getty ImagesDeSantis acknowledged fuel shortages across the state as residents formed long lines at petrol stations, supermarkets and hardware stores. Officials advised residents to stockpile canned food, water and other supplies and to refill essential prescriptions.Coastal residents were amassing sandbags against potential flooding and tacking plywood over windows and doors. Officials directed residents in the hurricane’s path to check their preparedness plan against advice on the state’s storm emergency website and to be on guard against price gouging and fraud.DeSantis announced that highway patrol cars would escort fuel trucks to expedite distribution.“We’re doing all we can on the fuel,” he said.Earlier predictions of an arrival of the storm early on the Labor Day holiday, Monday, were revised in anticipation of an early Tuesday arrival. Storm surge could be made worse by extreme tides associated with the new moon, which fell on Friday.A hurricane watch was in effect for the north-western Bahamas, with a risk of life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds. Heavy rainfall and flash flooding were anticipated in all affected areas.While it was unclear where on the Florida coastline Dorian would make landfall, Trump compared the storm to the 1992 Hurricane Andrew, which likewise tore into Florida along the Atlantic coast, killing 65 and tallying $27bn in damage.“It does seem almost certain that it’s hitting dead center, and that’s not good,” Trump said. “Somebody said bigger, or at least as big as Andrew.”Trump is traveling to Camp David in Maryland, where he will monitor the storm after he canceled his planned trip to Poland this weekend.Forecasters have put Trump’s luxury resort of Mar-a-Lago in the crosshairs of the storm. Late Friday, the National Hurricane Center’s projected track showed Dorian hitting near Fort Pierce, some 70 miles north of the so-called “winter White House”, then running along the coastline as it moved north. However forecasters cautioned that the storm’s track was still highly uncertain and even a small deviation could put Dorian offshore or well inland.The major models of the storm showed it most likely deflecting up the Atlantic coast after making landfall but the risk remained, DeSantis said, that the storm could cross Florida and move into the Gulf of Mexico, to potentially grow in strength once again over relatively warm and shallow waters.“Obviously a storm that cuts across the state, crosses the Gulf and then slams the Panhandle is a bad, bad thing for us,” DeSantis said.“Not every path of the storm has the same probability but you’ve got to be prepared for that. It’s too soon to tell.”Dorian’s approach has played havoc with people’s Labor Day weekend plans. Major airlines began allowing travelers to change their reservations without a fee. The big cruise lines began rerouting their ships. Disney World and the other resorts in Orlando found themselves in the storm’s projected path.Jessica Armesto and her one-year-old daughter, Mila, had planned to have breakfast with Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy at Disney World. Instead, Armesto decided to take shelter at her mother’s hurricane-resistant house in Miami with its kitchen full of nonperishable foods.“It felt like it was better to be safe than sorry, so we canceled our plans,” she said.

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Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey apologizes for appearing in racist sketch while in college in 1960s

In a 1960s radio interview, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey's then-fiancee said Ivey wore blackface in a college sketch. Ivey apologized in a statement Thursday.

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Veterans say the Trump administration's confusing new rule may be 'targeting' immigrants who serve in war zones

The new policy applies to Green Card holders who serve in uniform. "Why are we targeting people who want to serve?" a leading veterans advocate said.

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Portuguese national interrupts TV interview, gives moving speech about Brexit's impact

Another spanner has been thrown into the works in the countdown to Brexit. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson asked the Queen to suspend parliament which will scupper MPs chances to block a no-deal Brexit. On Wednesday, the Queen approved Johnson's request, prompting a national outcry and protests across the country.During a Central London protest against prorogation (the official term for the suspension of parliament), a Portuguese woman, who has lived and worked in the UK for 20 years, interrupted an interview and delivered an impassioned and extremely moving speech about Brexit's impact on her life."I'm Portuguese and I worked here for 20 years and I have no voice and the Settlement Scheme is not working," the woman -- whose name is unknown -- told Sky News. The woman is referring to the EU Settlement Scheme, which allows EU citizens to apply to continue living in the UK once it's no longer part of the European Union. She had been attending the protest, stating her reason for attending as "because I need a voice." "I gave this country my youth, I'm very grateful for what you taught me but you must make me part of all this process," she said. "I can't just be kicked out, I've built things for you, I've looked after your children, I looked after the elderly in this country, now you kick me out with what?"> A Portuguese national interrupted an interview to speak passionately to Sky News during protests against prorogation, saying she had "given her youth" to the UK > > For more on this story, head here: https://t.co/Bw9GJrZl0b pic.twitter.com/sFCZ1cnvrO> > -- Sky News (@SkyNews) August 28, 2019Per BBC News, a no-deal Brexit would result in the UK immediately exiting the EU with no agreement on Oct. 31. "Overnight, the UK would leave the single market and customs union -- arrangements designed to help trade between EU members by eliminating checks and tariffs (taxes on imports)," the BBC explains.The woman said she is "very, very hurt" by what's happening to the country. As she was about to walk away from the interview, the Sky News journalist urged her not to go away, and asked what was happening with her Settlement Status application. She explained that she'd been told her National Insurance number (the UK version of Social Security) didn't "correspond to the right thing" and she's been told she has to restart the whole process. "Oct. 31 is fast approaching, what am I going to do? What am I going to do? How am I going to stay? What are my rights?" she said.  WATCH: Watch Zuckerberg's face freeze after a far-right politician credited Facebook for Trump's win and Brexit

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West Virginia state senator charged with prostitution

West Virginia state Sen. Mike Maroney has been charged with soliciting a prostitute. The Republican lawmaker turned himself in and was arraigned Wednesday morning, a Marshall County court clerk said. Maroney exchanged text messages to discuss prices and set up meetings with a woman who has acknowledged being a prostitute, according to a criminal complaint.

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Omar tweets she received death threat targeting her at the Minnesota State Fair

"I hate that we live in a world where you have to be protected from fellow humans," said Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota.

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Brigitte Macron speaks out against sexism amid G7 Amazon fire funding row with Brazilian president

France’s first lady, Brigitte Macron, hit back on Thursday at mockery of her age and appearance on Jair Bolsonaro’s Facebook page amid a war of words between the Brazilian president and her husband that has left £18m in emergency funding for the Amazon in limbo. Her comments came as Mr Bolsonaro, accused by critics of allowing tens of thousands of fires to rage unchecked in the Amazon rainforest, announced a two-month ban on fires deliberately started by farmers. Critics have accused the Brazilian president of allowing farmers to start fires in order to clear forest for crops or grazing. Mrs Macron, 65, did not mention Mr Bolsonaro by name, but implied that the 64-year-old president was out of tune with contemporary attitudes to women.  Mrs Macron thanked the thousands of Brazilians who had offered apologies on social media for their president’s approval of a post deriding her for being nearly 25 years older than her husband, Emmanuel Macron, the French president. The post implied that Michelle Bolsonaro, the 37-year-old wife of Mr Bolsonaro, 64, was better looking than the French first lady. Mrs Macron said: “Times are changing. There are those who are on the train of change, women are there with you, like you, you’ve almost all understood, gentlemen. Not everyone, some are still on the platform and I’m sure they will soon get on the train.” A fireman works to extinguish a fire at a forest near Porto Velho, Brazil, 28 August 2019 Credit: REX Her comments won sustained applause as she inaugurated a newly refurbished museum devoted to the Battle of Agincourt at a ceremony with the British ambassador, Edward Llewellyn, at the site of the 1415 English victory over the French in northern France. “It’s not just for me, it’s for all women,” Mrs Macron said. “Things are changing and everyone must realise it.” The diplomatic clash between the French and Brazilian presidents came as Mr Macron tried to lead international efforts to help Brazil put out the fires, which he sees as a global problem because the world’s largest rainforest produces 20 per cent of its oxygen. Mr Bolsonaro, whose critics have labelled him “Captain Chainsaw” because of what they say is his disregard for the environment, rejected £18 million in aid from the G7 announced at a summit hosted by Emmanuel Macron, the French president, in the coastal resort of Biarritz at the weekend. But he has accepted a separate £10m offer of assistance from the United Kingdom. State governors and agribusiness leaders from the Amazon region have implored Mr Bolsonaro to accept financial aid from the G7, fearing that continued tensions could harm Brazil’s exports. Mr Bolsonaro has now outlawed all uses of fire in the region except for farming in indigenous communities, but he stressed that the ban was only temporary. “The people there set these fires, it's a tradition,” he said. Data from Brazil's Institute of Space Research has shown the increase in fires this year is linked to a rise in deforestation, with illegal land grabbers clearing areas of virgin forest in order to sell to agribusiness firms. Under domestic and international pressure, the government is expected to launch a series of environment-related measures next week including curbs on deforestation and gold panning. Local media have warned of a new Amazon gold rush stemming from relaxed oversight and poverty. On Wednesday, Donald Trump lent his support to Mr Bolsonaro. “I have gotten to know [Mr Bolsonaro] very well during our dealings with Brazil”, Mr Trump tweeted. “He is working very hard on the Amazon fires and in all respects doing a great job for the people of Brazil.” Mr Bolsonaro thanked him, saying that the “fake news campaign built against [Brazilian] sovereignty will not work.”

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View Photos of the 2020 Volvo XC60 Polestar

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Wave of child sex abuse lawsuits threatens Boy Scouts

The Boy Scouts of America is facing a threat from a growing wave of lawsuits over decades-old allegations of sexual abuse. The Scouts have been sued in multiple states in recent months by purported abuse victims, including plaintiffs taking advantage of new state laws or court decisions that are now allowing suits previously barred because of the age of the allegations. A lawyer representing 150 people who say they were abused as Boy Scouts is planning a suit in New Jersey when the state's new civil statute of limitations law takes effect Dec. 1.

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We need Unions for All. It's a bold agenda for helping everyone get ahead in our economy.

We need serious plans to empower all workers to form unions, no matter what job they do. 'Unions for All' is our litmus test for 2020 candidates.

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Raymond Santana was a teen when he was wrongfully jailed with four others.

Raymond Santana was a teenager when he was wrongfully jailed along with four others.

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Can you survive on foraged food?

Experts say a range of wild foods can supplement a normal diet - but can you go even further?

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The Amazon in Brazil is on fire - how bad is it?

Thousands of fires are ravaging the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. How bad are they?

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Hampshire paralysed tree surgeon returns to climbing

Callum Kilby was paralysed when a giant oak rolled over him, but a year later he's back climbing trees.

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Week in pictures: 24 - 30 August 2019

A selection of the best news photographs from around the world, taken over the past week.

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Maryam Hamdani: 'I taught myself to play taarab music online'

Maryam Mohammed Hamdani says she is the first woman to play taarab in public in Zanzibar.

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Boy's reunion with lost cat moves him to tears

Nine-year-old Edward sheds tears of joy to be with furry Leo again after a a search by pet detectives.

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American cheese: Does it deserve its bad reputation?

Plastic, orange and tasteless? Why a revolution in the US is trying to tell the world there's more to its cheese.

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Motsi Mabuse: Meet Strictly Come Dancing's newest judge

Motsi Mabuse is set to replace Dame Darcey Bussell on the Strictly Come Dancing panel this year.

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'Finding my dad 30 years after I was taken from him'

Abandoned in Sao Paulo and then adopted by a British couple, Edson thought he'd never see his father again.

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Nanjing Massacre: Denmark honours hero who rescued Chinese

Bernhard Sindberg sheltered many Chinese from the rampaging Japanese army in 1937.

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Poland still counts losses from WW2 invasion

As the world marks the 80th anniversary of the start of World War Two, Poland has reparations on its mind.

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Humour, hobbies and friendships: Your tips for staying positive

Interested in living longer? Here's advice from optimists to make sure your glass is always half full.

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Surgeon General to teens and pregnant women: Weed is way too risky for developing brains

'No amount of marijuana use in pregnancy or adolescence is safe,' said Surgeon General Jerome Adams.

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Trump cancels Poland visit as hurricane heads for Florida

US President Donald Trump on Thursday canceled a trip to Poland as Hurricane Dorian bore down on Florida, where it could make landfall as a dangerous Category 4 storm. Trump, who had been scheduled to attend World War II anniversary commemorations in Poland this weekend, said he would focus instead on preparations for the approaching hurricane. Vice President Mike Pence would go to Poland in his place, Trump said.

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US intelligence suggests Russia was fishing Putin's doomsday missile out of the sea when it mysteriously exploded

Sources familiar with an intelligence report told CNBC that Russia was trying to recover the weapon after another unsuccessful flight test.

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Detained writer urges Australia to help free him from China

A Chinese Australian writer detained in Beijing on suspicion of espionage since January has urged Australia to maintain diplomatic pressure for his release. "I implore the prime minister to help me go home as soon as possible," Yang, 54, said in the statement provided to The Associated Press by Feng Chongyi, an academic who was detained in China for two weeks in 2017 while researching human rights lawyers. Yang was taken into custody upon arriving in southern China's Guangzhou from New York on Jan. 19 with his wife, Yuan Xiaoliang, and his 14-year-old stepdaughter.

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Another Iranian rocket launch has ended in failure after it apparently blew up on the launch pad

Iran has tried three times this year to put a satellite into space, but each time, something has gone wrong with the rocket.

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U.S. driver Jessi Combs killed in bid to break land-speed record

Race car driver Jessi Combs, host of the television series "All Girls Garage," was killed in a high-speed crash while trying to set a new land-speed record, her family said on Wednesday. Combs, 39, was attempting to become the fastest woman on Earth when she was killed while racing on Tuesday on the Alvord Desert, a dry lake bed in southeastern Oregon, the family said in a statement.

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Here's Who Has Qualified for the September Democratic Presidential Primary Debate — And Who Hasn't

Who made it? Who came close? Here's what to know about the third Democratic presidential primary debate.

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The Latest: Queen approves request to suspend Parliament

Ireland's foreign minister says it's too late to renegotiate Britain's departure deal from the European Union. Foreign Minister Simon Coveney on Wednesday reiterated Ireland's opposition to the EU renegotiating the Brexit agreement approved by former U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May. Coveney said there wouldn't be enough time before Britain's Oct. 31 departure deadline "even if we wanted to" reopen the negotiations.

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Joe Biden warned about ‘welfare mothers driving luxury cars’ in a 1988 column

Former VP Joe Biden's half-century of public life has drawn extensive attention to his record on race and civil rights in the 2020 Democratic primary.

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Former Pence aide Nick Ayers removes self from Georgia Senate consideration

In 2017, Ayers considered entering the Georgia gubernatorial contest but ultimately chose not to run

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Royal Caribbean and Disney Cruise Line have changed routes for their cruise ships to avoid Hurricane Dorian (RCL, DIS)

Royal Caribbean has closed its Perfect Day at CocoCay island and Disney Cruise Line is re-routing its Disney Fantasy ship to avoid Hurricane Dorian.

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'Tough guy!': Trump mocks NYT columnist Bret Stephens for bedbug reaction

Bret Stephens, who was called a bedbug Monday evening on Twitter, has since deactivated his Twitter account.

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North Korea says it won't give up arms modernization

North Korea accused the United Kingdom, France and Germany on Thursday of meddling in its "self-defensive measures for arms modernization," saying the West will make "no greater mistake" than thinking Pyongyang will give up its right to have weapons that it says are needed to ensure peace. The North's official Korean Central News Agency circulated a statement from Kim Son Gyong, an adviser at the Korea-Europe Association, in response to a joint statement Tuesday from the three important U.S. allies condemning Pyongyang's "repeated provocative launches" of ballistic missiles.

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Hong Kong Police Ban Mass Weekend Protest March, Citing Safety

(Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong police said they banned a Saturday protest by the organizer of previous historic mass marches, citing public safety concerns, a move that could anger demonstrators ahead of a planned 13th straight weekend of pro-democracy rallies.Police said approving the Civil Human Rights Front’s march was too risky as some people might use it to “carry out large scale destruction and disrupt public order,” Kwok Pak-chung, the force’s regional commander for Hong Kong Island, said at a Thursday briefing. The South China Morning Post first reported the ban.“Based on our intelligence, we believe certain protesters will commit acts of violence during the gathering,” Kwok said. “There’s a high chance that certain violent protesters will hijack this event.” He added that officials “have made a decision that we didn’t like to make.”Bonnie Leung, CHRF’s vice-convener, told Bloomberg News earlier in the day that the group was planning to appeal. Some previous rallies have been approved at the last minute after negotiations with police.The ban could trigger further outcry as the rally was planned for the fifth anniversary of China’s introduction of an electoral reform package that would have restricted democratic freedoms and was later rejected by Hong Kong. It could also fuel turnout at a two-day general strike called to begin Monday if the government doesn’t concede to protesters’ major demands by Saturday, the SCMP said.Timeline: How Months of Protests Have Unfolded in Hong KongThe march had been planned to start at centrally located Chater Garden and continue on to China’s liaison office in the city, where Hong Kong’s police and Beijing have drawn their sharpest line after a previous demonstration saw protesters deface the national emblem. Hong Kong’s former leader Leung Chun-ying is promoting a website offering crowd-funded cash bounties to identify protesters who have perpetrated vandalism, including HK$1 million ($127,000) for the person who splashed black paint on the emblem.The CHRF has organized three record-breaking peaceful marches over weeks of protests, including the June 9 rally against legislation easing extraditions to China that sparked what’s morphed into a broader movement against Beijing’s tightening grip over the city. The group said each march brought more than 1 million people onto the streets, while police estimates are lower, in the hundreds of thousands.Its latest march would come after a weekend that began with the formation of a peaceful human chain across the city and culminated two days later with police firing a weapon and using water cannons for the first time. Police said 86 people were arrested over the weekend for alleged offenses including unlawful assembly, possession of weapons and assaulting officers.CHRF convener Jimmy Sham said separately Thursday that he had been attacked by two armed masked men inside a restaurant in the city’s Kowloon, but that he hadn’t been hurt because his friend shielded him. Sham said he would head to the police station in Tsim Sha Tsui to give a statement.(Updates throughout with police confirmation.)To contact the reporters on this story: Sheryl Tian Tong Lee in Hong Kong at slee1905@bloomberg.net;Fion Li in Hong Kong at fli59@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Karen Leigh, Jon HerskovitzFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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Married couple suspected of murder escape after overpowering guards while being extradited

A married couple wanted for murder have escaped from custody after overpowering guards who were transporting them through Utah in the United States.Blane Barksdale, 56, and Susan Barksdale, 59, broke free from two guards on Monday evening.

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Disaster feared if 'ticking time bomb' Yemen tanker explodes

An abandoned oil tanker anchored off war-torn Yemen that is degrading along with its cargo could explode and cause an environmental disaster, experts said Wednesday as UN inspectors prepared to visit. The ship "Safer", used as a floating storage platform, is laden with some 1.1 million barrels of crude oil and has been stranded with no maintenance since early 2015, leaving it to deteriorate and potentially allowing explosive gases to build up. United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Tuesday that a technical assessment team was waiting in nearby Djibouti preparing to board the Safer for a first-hand evaluation.

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Hurricane Dorian spares Puerto Rico and heads for eastern coast of Florida

Power outages and flooding were reported in the Virgin Islands and the Puerto Rican islands, but no damagesHurricane Dorian caused only limited damage in Puerto Rico late Wednesday. Photograph: Ramón Espinosa/APHurricane Dorian caused limited damage in the northern Caribbean as it left the region and gathered strength late Wednesday, setting its sights on the US mainland as it threatened to grow into a Category 3 storm.Puerto Rico, which had braced for the worst, seemed to be spared any heavy wind and rain, a huge relief to many on an island where blue tarps still cover some 30,000 homes nearly two years after Hurricane Maria. The island’s 3.2 million inhabitants also depend on an unstable power grid that remains prone to outages since it was destroyed by Maria.Power outages and flooding were reported across the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands and the Puerto Rican islands of Vieques and Culebra after Dorian hit St Thomas as a Category 1 storm.“We’re happy because there are no damages to report,” Culebra’s mayor, William Solis, told the Associated Press, noting that only one community lost power.Donald Trump began the day by insulting and taunting Puerto Rico and its residents, who are US citizens, on Twitter. “Puerto Rico is one of the most corrupt places on earth,” the president wrote in part. “Their political system is broken and their politicians are either Incompetent or Corrupt. And by the way, I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to Puerto Rico!”Florida officials said Wednesday that they are preparing for the hurricane to make landfall somewhere along the state’s eastern shore. Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, declared a state of emergency and urged residents to take precautions in anticipation of a possible Labor Day strike.Dennis Feltgen, a Hurricane Center meteorologist in Miami, said Dorian may grow in size and could land anywhere from south Florida to South Carolina on Sunday or Monday. “This will be a large storm approaching the south-east,” he said.County governments along Florida’s east-central coast are distributing sandbags and many residents are rushing to warehouse retailers to load up on water, canned food and emergency supplies.Trump declared an emergency on Tuesday night and ordered federal assistance for local authorities in Puerto Rico. But in a tweet Wednesday morning, Trump, a climate crisis denier, seemed to complain about Puerto Rico’s exposure to storms, and escalated a long-running feud with Carmen Yulín Cruz, the mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico’s capital.The two established a combative relationship after the island was devastated by Hurricane Maria almost two years ago, when US aid was slow to arrive and Trump offended many during a visit. > We are tracking closely tropical storm Dorian as it heads, as usual, to Puerto Rico. FEMA and all others are ready, and will do a great job. When they do, let them know it, and give them a big Thank You - Not like last time. That includes from the incompetent Mayor of San Juan!> > — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 28, 2019On Tuesday night, Cruz said that Trump should “get out of the way”.“Three thousand Puerto Ricans did not open their eyes this morning because this racist man did not have it within him to do his job,” Cruz said on CNN. “So get out of the way, President Trump.”Cruz was referring to the death toll from Hurricane Maria, which hit Puerto Rico in September 2017. An official report criticized the Trump administration’s slow response to the devastation from the storm, which destroyed the island’s power grid and decimated its agriculture and tourism industries.On Tuesday morning, Trump had tweeted about Dorian, and seemed to complain about the cost of hurricane recovery efforts in Puerto Rico, which have fallen far short of restoring the island.“Wow! Yet another big storm heading to Puerto Rico,” Trump wrote. “Will it ever end? Congress approved 92 Billion Dollars for Puerto Rico last year, an all time record of its kind for ‘anywhere’.”Trump’s tweet contained multiple falsehoods. While Congress has allocated $42.5bn for disaster relief for Puerto Rico, the island had received less than $14bn through May, according to federal data. And in any case Trump’s headline amount of $92bn would not qualify the Maria relief package as “an all-time record” for the costliest tropical cyclones, according to the federal government’s own figures. Spending on recovery for Hurricane Harvey, which hit Texas and Louisiana in the same storm season as Maria, has so far cost $125bn.Since Maria, Puerto Rico has struggled with political turbulence leading to the recent departure of the governor, Ricardo Rosselló. Earlier this month, the territory’s supreme court overturned the swearing-in of Rosselló’s successor, Pedro Pierluisi, and the former justice secretary, Wanda Vázquez, became governor.

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Texas governor says 'mistakes' made in immigrant rhetoric

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday "mistakes were made" when he sent a fundraising mailer that called on supporters to "defend Texas" from illegal immigration, which was dated a day before a gunman targeting Mexicans killed 22 people in El Paso. The letter was condemned as racist and anti-Latino by the Texas Democratic Party after it surfaced last week. Taken together, the mailer and tweet have put a spotlight on Abbott's hardline rhetoric at a time when he has urged unity in the aftermath of another mass shooting in Texas.

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Attorney who 'refuses to prosecute' domestic violence cases between same-sex partners faces suspension

A district attorney in Tennessee could face suspension after saying he does not prosecute domestic violence cases between same-sex partners.Coffee County district attorney Craig Northcott came under fire in June after a video emerged of him saying he would not prosecute anyone with domestic violence charges if they are in a gay marriage because he does not accept their legal status.

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Secret Service, police in standoff with barricaded suspect in Fairfield

BARRICADED SUSPECT: The Secret Service along with police are in the middle of a standoff in Fairfield.

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Fox News Host Jeanine Pirro: Dems Plotting to ‘Replace American Citizens With Illegals’

MIKE THEILERNearly a month after an accused shooter reportedly said he deliberately targeted “Mexicans” while killing more than 20 people in El Paso, Fox News personalities are still echoing the same talking points from the gunman’s racist manifesto, in which he complained about a “Hispanic invasion” of America.Appearing on Fox Nation’s The Todd Starnes Show on Thursday, Fox News host Jeanine Pirro was asked by Starnes—who recently likened migrants to a “rampaging horde” of Nazis—if Democrats and liberals hate President Donald Trump and his supporters.Pirro, who is currently promoting a book that Trump has already endorsed, took the opportunity to push a version of the “Great Replacement theory”—the same racist lie that was cited by the El Paso gunman and other recent domestic terrorist attackers.“They hate Donald Trump—he’s the one they want to get rid of,” she said, in a segment first spotted by Media Matters. “Their plot to remake America is to bring in the illegals, change the way the voting occurs in this country, give them licenses. They get to vote—maybe once, maybe twice, maybe three times.”After decrying same-day voter registration and grousing about voter rolls not being purged, Pirro—who was suspended by Fox earlier this year for questioning Ilhan Omar’s loyalty to America—went right back to the far-right well.“Think about it,” Pirro exclaimed. “It is a plot to remake America—to replace American citizens with illegals who will vote for the Democrats.”Pirro’s comments come just days after the National Association of Hispanic Journalists cut ties with Fox News over the network’s use of “invasion” rhetoric to describe immigration, with the NAHJ saying Starnes’ remark about immigrants was the final straw.In the wake of the El Paso slayings, Fox News has been the focus of widespread criticism for the extreme anti-immigrant rhetoric of many of its opinion hosts. Tucker Carlson, for instance, has seen a further erosion of his advertiser base after he called white supremacy a “hoax” just days after the shooting.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

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Carpenter's hand reattached by surgeons after saw accident

Anthony Lelliott's hand was left hanging by skin and bone as he cut floorboards with a circular saw.

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'We live in LS Lowry's house... he might not approve of the colour scheme'

The Salford terrace where Lowry painted many of his famous works is now home to a family of six.

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Couple wanted for murder in Arizona escape from guards during transport

Blane Barksdale, 56, and Susan Barksdale, 59, broke free on Monday evening from two guards in Blanding, a rural town in southeast Utah, the Tucson Police Department said in a statement. The couple later obtained a GMC Sierra pickup truck and drove off, Tucson police spokesman Pete Dugan said. "Investigators have information that they are possibly traveling through Arizona," Tucson police said in a statement.

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Israel’s Strategy against Tehran: Revealing the Iranian Threat

On Thursday, August 22, members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force took a drone to an area near the Golan Heights, seeking to attack Israel. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) monitored the men, took video of them walking through a field, and struck back two nights later. The air strikes targeted a villa in southern Syria that Jerusalem says was being used by the IRGC and Shiite militias. This includes Hezbollah, a Lebanese ally of Iran that has played a major role in Syria in recent years.The air strike is part of an increasingly firm stand Israel is taking against Iran’s regional ambitions in the Middle East. This includes several recent air strikes in Iraq that Iranian-linked paramilitaries have blamed on Israel. It also includes near-daily reports in media from Lebanon to Kuwait asserting that Israel is targeting Iran’s network of proxies and their bases in Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria. Jerusalem is no longer secretive about this widespread campaign. In January former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eizenkot said Israel had carried out thousands of air strikes on Iranian targets.Now IRGC Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani has warned Israel that these strikes will be Israel’s last. Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah has threatened retaliation. This is part of a rising Iranian-backed chorus against Jerusalem, which includes real threats such as continuing rocket fire from Hamas in Gaza. It also includes threats by Iranian proxies such as Iraqi-based Kata’ib Hezbollah against U.S. forces in Iraq.What is Israel’s strategy in all this? The goal is to draw Iran and its allies out of the shadows. Over the past decade, inflamed by the 2015 Iran deal, Tehran has increased its weapons transfers to Hezbollah, sent thousands of advisers to support the Syrian regime, and helped mobilize a network of militias in Iraq. Some of this was used to fight ISIS, or enemies of Bashar al-Assad. But with the ISIS war and Syrian conflict winding down, these groups are turning their threats toward Iran’s adversaries. Tehran is obsessed with destroying Israel, as can be seen in its frequent statements and militaristic parades. It has launched drones from Syria into Israel in February 2018, rockets in May 2018, and a rocket in January 2019. Hezbollah threatens that its 150,000 rockets can strike all of Israel.Air strikes on Iran’s network of proxies force the network out of the shadows. It can’t hide in villas in southern Syria, or launch drones at night, or stockpile ballistic missiles in Iraq if it is looking over its shoulder and increasingly making mistakes through its aggressive and open threats. Iran is used to playing a double game of moderates and hard-liners, sending its smiling foreign minister to the recent G7 while boasting of its allies’ drone technology striking Saudi Arabia.The Israeli air strikes couple well with the Washington-led campaign of “maximum pressure.” Iran now faces two fronts, the sanctions and strikes, that together are designed to blow the lid on its regional strategy. Tehran will be tempted to make a misstep in its otherwise calculated reactions. Iran has a playbook: If a Western power seizes its tanker, as the U.K. did in July, Iran seizes a tanker. It downed a sophisticated U.S. drone in June but hasn’t harmed anyone in six sabotage operations on oil tankers in the Persian Gulf. More than anything, Iran wants to preserve its regional power, based in proxies and allies that are often Shiite coreligionists. Its long-term goal is to get Hezbollah and its Shiite paramilitary allies in Iraq into more government positions and build up their parallel-state structures of armed fighters and bases. A war with the U.S. or Israel, or a direct confrontation with Saudi Arabia, as opposed to using proxies such as the Houthis, Hezbollah, and Islamic Jihad in Gaza, is not in Tehran’s interest. This is the strategic calculation that underpins Israel’s actions, but it can go only so far. A game of whack-a-mole against Iran’s drones and missiles is just a setback for Tehran. If Tehran doesn’t gamble on a major conflict with Israel, it will continue its creeping annexation of neighboring states.

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